Twisted Colossus facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Twisted Colossus
Previously known as Colossus (1978–2014)
Twisted Colossus
Six Flags Magic Mountain
Location	Six Flags Magic Mountain
Park section	Screampunk District
Coordinates	34°25′40″N 118°35′51″W / 34.42778°N 118.59750°W / 34.42778; -118.59750
Status	Operating
Opening date	May 23, 2015 (2015-05-23)
Replaced	Colossus
General statistics
Type	Steel
Manufacturer	Rocky Mountain Construction
Designer	Alan Schilke
Model	I-Box – Custom
Track layout	Möbius Loop with one station
Lift/launch system	Chain lift hill
Height	121 ft (37 m)
Drop	128 ft (39 m)
Length	4,990 ft (1,520 m)
Speed	57 mph (92 km/h)
Inversions	2
Duration	3:40
Max vertical angle	80°
Height restriction	48 in (122 cm)
Trains	4 (3 max. in use) trains with 6 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in 2 rows for a total of 24 riders per train.
Flash Pass available for Gold and Platinum Levels
Must transfer from wheelchair
Twisted Colossus at RCDB

Twisted Colossus is an exciting hybrid roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Santa Clarita, California. It's called "hybrid" because it mixes parts of a classic wooden coaster with a modern steel track.

This ride first opened on June 29, 1978, as Colossus. Back then, it was a huge wooden roller coaster with two tracks that raced each other. It was known for being the tallest and fastest wooden coaster in the world! Colossus even appeared in famous movies and TV shows, like National Lampoon's Vacation.

After many years, Colossus closed on August 16, 2014. But just a few weeks later, Six Flags announced it would come back as Twisted Colossus! It was rebuilt by a company called Rocky Mountain Construction. They added cool new features like barrel rolls and a super steep drop. Twisted Colossus opened on May 23, 2015, ready for new adventures.

History of This Amazing Coaster

Colossus in 2007, before it became Twisted Colossus

Six Flags Magic Mountain wanted a classic wooden roller coaster for their park in 1978. They liked the "rumble and sway" feeling that wooden coasters give. So, they hired a company called International Amusement Devices (IAD) to design it.

The design for Colossus was finished in May 1977. Construction began a few months later in August. Even though a tornado damaged part of the structure during building, the coaster was still finished on time! It cost $7 million to build. Colossus opened to the public on June 29, 1978. It was a record-breaker, being the tallest and fastest wooden roller coaster in the world. It was also the first to have two drops over 100 feet (30 meters).

Changes Over the Years

Colossus changed a few times over its long life. In 1979, the ride closed for about ten months. This was to make the ride smoother and less intense in some spots. They also replaced the original trains with new ones.

Later, in 1987, the trains were changed again. In 1991, parts of the track were leveled out and new brakes were added. For Halloween, a giant spider was sometimes added to the coaster's structure. In 2014, one side of the track was even changed to run backward for a short time!

Saying Goodbye to Colossus and Hello to Twisted Colossus

Twisted Colossus, ready for riders

In 2014, Six Flags Magic Mountain announced that Colossus would close for good on August 16. To say goodbye, the park held a 36-hour riding marathon! People rode the coaster for hours and hours. Six people completed the marathon, riding 328 laps!

Soon after Colossus closed, Six Flags shared exciting news. The roller coaster would reopen in 2015 as Twisted Colossus! A company called Rocky Mountain Construction rebuilt it. They used their special "I-Box track technology." This changed the wooden track to steel but kept much of the original wooden frame.

What Makes Twisted Colossus Special?

The table below shows how Colossus changed into Twisted Colossus. It highlights the differences between the old and new rides.

Your Ride on Twisted Colossus

Riding the Original Colossus

The old Colossus roller coaster had two drops over 100 feet (30 meters). The first drop was 115 feet (35 meters) and the second was 105 feet (32 meters). The ride lasted about two and a half minutes. It reached speeds up to 62 miles per hour (100 km/h). Riders often felt like they were floating out of their seats on the hills!

Riding Twisted Colossus Today

The entrance to Twisted Colossus

Your adventure on Twisted Colossus begins on the blue track. After you leave the station, the ride turns left. Then, it goes through some small hills before climbing the lift hill. As you go up, you might even catch up to the other train on the green track!

Once you reach the top, you plunge down an 80-degree, 128-foot (39-meter) drop! After a small hill, you go up another tall hill, crossing under the Goliath coaster. Then, you'll go through a banked turn and a cool "high-five" element. This is where the two trains pass each other so closely it looks like riders could high-five!

The blue track then drops down and goes under the green track. The green track does a "top gun stall" right above you! After that, the blue track does a zero-g roll, making you feel weightless. Finally, after a few more twists, the blue track turns into the green track, and you hit the brakes.

The green track side is very similar to the blue side. It also has the "high-five" element, but it's banked the other way. After the high-five, the green track does a "double down" and its own top gun stall. Then it crosses over the blue track. After going under the blue track's zero-g roll, it goes up a "double up" and turns left to the final brake run.

Because Twisted Colossus has one long, continuous track that riders go through twice (once on each "side"), it's called a Möbius Loop roller coaster. This is different from most racing coasters where you only ride one side. To make the trains race, the ride operators have to time when they send each train out. Sometimes, they'll even count down to encourage riders to get ready quickly for a race!

Twisted Colossus in Movies and TV

Colossus was famous even before it became Twisted Colossus! In May 1978, while it was still being built, it was used in the TV movie Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park.

In 1983, it was featured in the movie National Lampoon's Vacation. In the film, it was called Screemy Meemy. The roller coaster also appeared in the opening of the TV show Step by Step. You might have also seen it in episodes of Knight Rider, Wonder Woman, and The A-Team. It was even in the movie Zapped! and an episode of Castle.

The song "Colossus" on Tyler, the Creator's album Wolf is named after this very roller coaster.

Awards and Recognition

Twisted Colossus has won awards for being a great ride! In 2015, it was ranked third for "Best New Ride" in the Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Awards. This award is like the "Oscars" for the amusement park industry.

• Twisted Colossus at the Roller Coaster DataBase
• Colossus at the Roller Coaster DataBase